photoshop expresshttp://www.maclife.com/taxonomy/term/7126/all
enApp Showdown: Photo Editorshttp://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/app_showdown_photo_editors
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u307916/2011/Online/photoeditors.jpg" width="620" height="155" /></p><p>With iOS 5, iPhone users finally have native photo editing. But Apple kept things simple, so all you get is rotate, crop, red eye removal, and auto-enhance doing its thing. Prior to this small selection there was nothing, so the App Store is packed full of alternate cameras and photo editing apps for your shutterbug delights.</p><h3>Adobe Photoshop Express (Free/Universal)</h3><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_10_35_02_pm.png" alt="photoshop1" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>A dead simple interface makes this easy</strong></p><p>Photo editing stalwart Adobe got into the game with <a href="http://bit.ly/tNilPE">Photoshop Express</a> and their app is a decent entrant. Choose between taking a picture and loading one in from your camera roll to get started, then you get two more choices -- tap the arrow to share the picture on Twitter, Facebook or Photoshop.com or tap the pencil to start editing.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_10_36_30_pm.png" alt="photoshop3" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Drop downs say it all</strong></p><p>Four fairly obvious buttons cross the top of the app and four more cross the bottom. The Crop button does what it says but it also allows straightening, rotating, or flipping photos. Adjust the color saturation or exposure by tapping the next button, make it black and white, change the tint or adjust the contrast. These adjust as you slide your finger horizontally across the screen, the changes denoted by number or on a color bar.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_10_36_46_pm.png" alt="photoshop2" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Nice color palette, no?</strong></p><p>More artistic effects include a sketch adjustment, soften or sharpen the focus, and (if you buy the $4.99 add-on) reduce noise. Photoshop Express also includes seven color filters such as Pop that makes four copies and tints them all differently, Rainbow that splashes ROYGBIV across your picture, Soft Black &amp; White and more. Choose borders to add frames or ragged contact sheet style edging. Save your picture to the camera roll then share it if you like though your options here are pretty limited.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_10_37_01_pm.png" alt="photoshop4" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>We hoped for more filters from the photo top dawg</strong></p><p>Photoshop Express is well done, free, and works fairly well delivering lots of edits within its simple UI. More sharing options would be nice and the add-ons (noise reduction, a timer, and multiburst shots) aren't really worth five dollars, but overall it's a solid performance from the leader in photo editing software.</p><h3>Instagram (Free/iPhone)</h3><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_10_49_48_pm.png" alt="instagram1" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Cats still rule the interwebz</strong></p><p>The darling of the Internet, Burbn, Inc.'s <a href="http://bit.ly/s35nY6">Instagram</a> is either a free camera app packed with social sharing or it's a social media app based around pictures. Either way, if you do a lot of sharing, you most likely are familiar with this one. First you set up your Instagram account then link to various social sites and find your friends.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_10_50_12_pm.png" alt="instagram2" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>109 people like a girl in the restroom</strong></p><p>You first open the app to your feed. These are people whose photos you follow. Or expand your horizons beyond friends by tapping the Popular button. There stroll through a gallery of pictures beloved by the Instagram masses. Tap a picture and it opens bigger and you can like it, comment on it, or choose to follow this person's photo life.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_9_03_34_am.png" alt="instagram3" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>1977 dog likes filters, not cats</strong></p><p>The middle button says Share, opening the camera. Add a frame by tapping the square in the upper left, a tear drop in the upper right pops in a pinchably &nbsp;adjustable tilt shift focal point, and the X takes you back to the Popular gallery. You can also add pictures from the camera roll. The eye in the lower right turns on the filters. Nicely, these filters can be applied live, so if you don't have to catch a pic on the fly, you can choose between Lomo effect or the Toaster filter and more before snapping.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_10_59_04_pm.png" alt="instagram" width="320" height="480" />.</p><p><strong>Tiltshifting photo of world's creepiest doll</strong></p><p>Approve your picture, then you're taken to a screen to title it, enable geotagging, and determine where you'll share. Instagram has Twitter, Facebook, Email, Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare, and Posterous options built in so no one has to miss out.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_9_05_52_am.png" alt="instagram4" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Sharing galore</strong></p><p>The news button lets you see the pictures your friends and those you're following have liked. The Profile button will allow you to adjust your sharing settings, pick a new profile picture for yourself, and do other under the hood stuff.</p><p>As far as editing pictures goes, Instagram has seventeen filter options and each comes with its own specialized frame, plus there are the tilt shift and rotate options. As a photo editor, it feels less robust than Photoshop Express, but for sharing there's no competition between the two.</p><h3>Camera+ ($0.99/iPhone)</h3><p>tap tap tap has something remarkable going on with <a href="http://bit.ly/twYj29">Camera+</a>. If you're looking for a camera with features, this one will fit the bill. The app opens directly to the camera where the digital zoom slider is visible. Tap the screen and a pinkish square appears. Tap it a second time and a pinkish circle appears within the square.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_10_00_22_am.png" alt="camera+1" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Adjust focus and exposure, separately for best results</strong></p><p>Drag the circle about to get the best exposure applied to the whole picture while the square sets a certain focal point. With two finger action, great pictures are a snap. After the shutter goes off, Camera+ saves your shots to the app's Lightbox for editing.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_5_40_09_pm.png" alt="camera+2" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>The Lightbox is where you do your work</strong></p><p>Tap a photo here and you get an X to delete, a magnifying glass to enlarge and four more buttons. Save sends it to your camera roll, Info provides EFIX data including date, location, exposure, f-stop and more, and Share lets you upload to Flickr, Facebook, or Twitter as well as email and MMS. But Edit is where the magic happens.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_10_04_32_am.png" alt="camera+3" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Tons of editing magic all the way through</strong></p><p>Two rows of buttons appear across the bottom. The top row are controlled by the bottom five. Scenes allows you to sixteen lighting conditions or subjects (improve your food snaps!). Adjust flips and rotates; Crops gives you nine pre-set options including the Golden Ratio plus freeform photo trimming.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_10_02_04_am.png" alt="camera+4" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>All kinds of filters packed in here</strong></p><p>FX Effects delivers 27 filters (with nine more for sale) and each comes with an Intensity slider for more fine grain control. Best of all, each effect is recorded in the Info panel so you can revisit a photo to recreate the same effect on other pictures. &nbsp;</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_oct_24_11_07_37_pm.png" alt="camera+5" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>The info button gives you the goods</strong></p><p>Editing photos after the fact is one thing, but Camera+ helps you out during the taking. Tap the gear next to the shutter button and choose between the Stablilizer, a Timer, or a Burst of rapid-fire shots. Nor is the app limited to photos taken within it. From the Lightbox tap the boxed gear wheel to open your camera roll for quick import.&nbsp;</p><p>Camera+ is a sweet app we've taken many a good photo with and we were completely set to fully and whole-heartedly give it the prize. Until we tried the next app.</p><h3>PictureShow ($1.99/iPhone)</h3><p>It seems with each app we introduce, more features are added. graf's <a href=" http://bit.ly/t92H7r">PictureShow</a> goes hog wild. Two buttons greet you when you open it: start shooting or import from the camera roll. Tap the shutter button to shoot or tap the lens kit to the far right to take quad shots and more fancy types. The gear next to the shutter button gives you your timer, a grid, and sequence shots.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_9_08_36_am.png" alt="pictureshow1" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Lotta teeny tiny buttons there</strong></p><p>But PictureShow is just getting started. Once you've taken or imported your picture eight tiny buttons cross the bottom of the app. Tap Style and pick from 23 frames, 10 light exposures, 13 noise filters, and adjustable vignette framing. Tap Special to &nbsp;drop in tilt shifting or HDR after-effects (both with adjustable sliders for fine-grained control). Tap Color to slide-adjust the red, green, and blue, as well as brightness and contrast. Transform offers cropping in five ratios and a freehand option plus flipping the picture along the X and Y axis.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_9_53_43_am.png" alt="pictureshow2" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>So many different styles you can apply</strong></p><p>You can add text to your photo by tapping on that button, and here you can alter the color, size, and alignment of fourteen different fonts. Finally, the kicker, PictureShow has the name of your photo style up top. Tap the name to access 45 preset filters such as LomoGraphy, BlueVintage, IndigoHalo, Noir, and dozens more.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_9_53_52_am.png" alt="pictureshow3" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>These filters go on and on, on top of everything else</strong></p><p>Flick your finger up or down the picture to change styles in the full-screen view or hit the shuffle button to pick a random style. And if you tweak your own style and love it, tap the heart to save that particular picture recipe.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_9_54_42_am.png" alt="pictureshow4" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Flick up or down to see the next full screen filter</strong></p><p>PictureShow also includes sharing at Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, tumblr, and Blogger, as well as saving to your camera roll or emailing the photo to someone, because after all the work you do, these pictures are crying out to be shared.</p><p><img src="/files/u124583/photo_sep_25_9_09_58_am.png" alt="pictureshow5" width="320" height="480" /></p><p><strong>Share and share alike</strong></p><h3>Developing</h3><p>If you're looking for the full package of sharing and editing, look no further than PictureShow. The app is feature rich, infinitely customizable, fun to play around with, and hits the vast majority of sharing options. It could almost replace Apple's Camera app as our go-to picture taker. Camera+ runs a close second as far as features go, though it offers fewer than PictureShow and even fewer sharing options. Instagram is nice for sharing but rather limited in its palette. Photoshop is your best free option, though if you share beyond the majors, you'll be working it run-around style.</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/app_showdown_photo_editors#commentsReviewsAdobe Photoshop Expresscameracamera appscamera+instagramiOS 5photoPhoto Editingphoto editing appsPhotosPhotoshopphotoshop expresspicture editingpicturespictureshowiPhoneiPodTue, 25 Oct 2011 17:34:29 +0000J Keirn-Swanson12707 at http://www.maclife.comPhotoshop Express 2.0 for iOS Features Camera Pack In-App Purchasehttp://www.maclife.com/article/news/photoshop_express_20_ios_features_camera_pack_inapp_purchase
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u220903/photoshop_express_ipad_edit_200px.jpg" alt="Adobe Photoshop Express 2.0" width="200" height="150" class="graphic-right" />Adobe is stepping up its game with the iOS version of Photoshop Express, this week releasing a 2.0 update for the free app which adds a Camera Pack as an in-app purchase option to make your digital photography even better.<br /><br />Adobe is announcing the immediate availability of <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-photoshop-express/id331975235?mt=8" target="_blank">Photoshop Express 2.0</a>, an update to their free universal iOS app which aims to enhance the new camera workflow introduced with the previous 1.5 version with the availability of the Adobe Camera Pack, a $3.99 in-app purchase.<br /><br />"Photoshop Express 2.0 and the new Adobe Camera Pack solve a problem for anyone who cares about the quality of their images," explains Adobe senior product manager for mobile imaging Jordan Davis. "Our new Reduce Noise feature fixes the graininess that often impacts photos, even those taken with high-quality phone cameras. It's fast, accurate and puts professional Adobe Photoshop quality in the palm of your hand."<br /><br />The new Adobe Camera Pack offers three key features:<br /><br /><em>* Reduce Noise: Even the best phone cameras can introduce small amounts of grain and speckling - called noise - into images. The Reduce Noise feature quickly smooths out those flaws to improve photos.<br />* Self Timer: Set a camera timer to three or 10-second intervals to control when the photo is snapped and capture just the desired moment.<br />* Auto Review: Ensure a good shot and delete it quickly if not. Auto Review provides a quick look at pictures before the action passes by.<br /></em><br /><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-photoshop-express/id331975235?mt=8" target="_blank">Adobe Photoshop Express 2.0</a> continues to be a free download from the App Store, while the Camera Pack requires a $3.99 in-app purchase as well as an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, third or fourth-generation iPod touch or an iPad. Unfortunately, Photoshop Express doesn’t yet take advantage of the iPad 2’s dual cameras, but it sounds like Adobe will implement this in a future update.<br /><br /><em>Follow this article’s author, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/JRBTempe" target="_blank">J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter</a></em></p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/news/photoshop_express_20_ios_features_camera_pack_inapp_purchase#commentsNewsAdobeAdobe Photoshop ExpressApp StorecameraIn-App Purchasesphotoshop expressiPadiPhoneiPodWed, 16 Mar 2011 14:37:01 +0000J.R. Bookwalter10280 at http://www.maclife.comThe Beginner's Guide to Editing and Sharing Photos With Your iPadhttp://www.maclife.com/article/ipad/beginners_guide_editing_and_sharing_photos_your_ipad
<!--paging_filter--><p><img src="/files/u300425/apple-ipad-camera-connection-kit.jpg" width="620" height="310" /></p><p>Going on a trip? Don't bring your laptop. The iPad works just as well as a photo editing and uploader tool, so you can get those vacation photos from your SD card up to Facebook in no time. All you need is the iPad, the camera connection kit and a speedy Wi-Fi (or, if you sprang for the mobile contract, 3G) connection and you'll have your friends envying your trip to sunshine land in no time.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>1. From the Camera to the iPad</h2><p><img src="/files/u300425/mc531_0.jpg" width="325" height="224" /></p><p>One tool you'll need if you want edit your photos without a computer is <a href="http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC531ZM/A" target="_blank">Apple's camera connection kit</a> for iPad. At only $29, it won't break the bank and it really will make getting photos onto your iPad a breeze (not to mention allow you to use a <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/feature/seven_hidden_features_ipad_camera_connection_kit" target="_blank">bunch of other cool peripherals</a>, if you haven't upgraded to iOS 4.2 yet). The kit comes with two dongles; one for a standard SD card, and one for a standard USB cable. If you shoot with a DSLR, it's likely that you have a CompactFlash card and will need to use a USB cable with the latter.</p><p>The iPad can recognize both the RAW and JPEG files your camera saves, and the upload process is pretty simple; plug in your camera to the connection dongle, and Photos will automatically ask you which photos you want to import. Just as iPhoto does, it will also allow you to delete all the files you have imported, to free up space on your memory card.</p><p>Photos automatically creates albums for "Imported" and "Last Imported" photos. It only displays JPEG files. However, the RAW files will show up once you hook up your iPad to your Mac.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>2. Apps for Editing</h2><h3>Photoshop Express</h3><p><img src="/files/u300425/photoshopexpress.png" width="400" height="534" /></p><p>Editing is, of course, what makes the iPad great for on the go. There are a few offerings in the app store that will do the job, but we feel the simpler, the better. That's why our first recommendation for editing your photos on the iPad is the free option -- <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-photoshop-express/id331975235?mt=8" target="_blank">Photoshop Express</a>.</p><p>As you would expect from Adobe, Photoshop Express is a simple and intuitive photo editor that allows users to edit and adjust exposure, saturation, contrast, and sharpness. While the sliding scale controls aren't super precise, the results are great. And, best of all, it's free!</p><p>Photoshop Express only has one major flaw. If you edit too much and try to save a huge photo, the app will consistently crash. So, for power users, we recommend Photogene, as described below.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Photogene&nbsp;</h3><p style="text-align: left; "><img src="/files/u300425/photogene.jpg" width="500" height="375" /></p><p>If you're going to pay for one app to edit photos with, we recommend <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photogene-for-ipad/id363448251?mt=8" target="_blank">Photogene</a>. This app has been around for ages -- since the early iPhone days--and it shows. Photogene does it all. It allows users to adjust exposure, saturation, contrast, color, shadows, sharpness, noise, and curves, and comes with a few other fancy features you probably don't need if you just want to get your photos looking good (frames, for instance).</p><p>Unlike Photoshop express, Photogene shows a photo's metadata (the settings and camera with which the photo was taken) and allows users to export at various resolutions. The app also does not crash with large exports. If you're serious about editing photos with your iPad, we hands down recommend Photogene. It's only $3.99 in the app store.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Instagram</h3><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><img src="/files/u300425/instagram.jpg" width="391" height="549" /></span></p><p>Not super interested in carefully editing your photos, but just want some cool Lomo effects? As we've <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/features/vintage_photo_shootout_instagram_vs_hipstamatic" target="_blank">mentioned before</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/instagram/id389801252?mt=8" target="_blank">Instagram</a> is probably our favorite iPhone app for the task. And, iPhone apps make great photo editing tools for the iPad, too.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2><strong>3. Uploading Photos to Flickr<br /></strong></h2><p style="text-align: left; ">As much as we might not want to admit it, we love sharing our photos on services like Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter. Twitter is pretty easy, since we're only sharing one photo at a time. On Facebook or Flickr, however, we usually want to share dozens, and assign an album for each. Here are a few iPad apps that make that final task a little easier.</p><p style="text-align: left; ">&nbsp;</p><h3>Mobile Fotos</h3><p>There are a lot of great Flickr apps for the iPad, but none of them make sharing all that easy. Neither solution is perfect, but we have two recommendations; either Mobile Fotos, or the iPhone version of the official Flickr app, which is not yet available for iPad.</p><p><img src="/files/u300425/flickr.jpg" width="400" height="533" /></p><p><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mobile-fotos-flickr-browser/id284393206?mt=8" target="_blank">Mobile Fotos</a> is a great Flickr app, but only allows you to tag and upload one photo at a time. Its saving grace is that it actually remembers the tags, sets, and titles of the last photo you have uploaded. It isn't perfect, however,&nbsp; since you can't select multiple photos, but at least you can count on the photos uploading successfully&nbsp; -- no need to wait for one to finish. It'll only set you back $2.99, and is a must have for the more organized Flickr uploader.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h3>Flickr</h3><p><img src="/files/u300425/flickrphone.jpg" width="367" height="532" /></p><p>The <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flickr/id328407587?mt=8" target="_blank">official Flickr app</a> actually supports true batch uploading and has the added benefit of being free. Unfortunately, it does not allow batch tagging or information entry, so if you're an organized Flickr user you'll have to manually add each photo to the set it belongs in. You'll also have to manually add tags and titles to each individual photo. But, if you don't care about tags and sets, or have mastered the iPhone keyboard, this app is the way to go.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><h2>4. Uploading Photos to Facebook</h2><p>In an ideal world, the official Facebook app would be available for iPad and support batch uploading. For now however, we recommend the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/facebook/id284882215?mt=8" target="_self">iPhone version of the Facebook</a> app. Despite its low resolution, it does a good job actually uploading photos and it lets you directly access your individual albums, as well as tag your friends. Unfortunately, you can only upload one photo at a time.</p><p><img src="/files/u300425/facebook.jpg" width="400" height="533" /></p><p>If you're looking for a batch uploader, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photoloader-hd-for-facebook/id399361994?mt=8" target="_self">Photoloader</a>&nbsp;gets the job done. The app lets you create new albums, add photos to existing albums, add captions, and even adjust the order in which your photos appear. Unfortunately, you can't tag your friends, but the trade off is you can upload your photos in bulk.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While photo editing and uploading on the iPad isn't as perfect as it might be on your Mac, we found it really freeing to get so much done so effectively with our little iPads, and it made our vacation a lot more fun. We hope by using this guide you feel the same!</p><p>&nbsp;</p>http://www.maclife.com/article/ipad/beginners_guide_editing_and_sharing_photos_your_ipad#commentsAppsDesign and GraphicsFacebookFlickrinstagramiPadphotogenePhotographyphotoshop expresssocial networkingiPadThu, 13 Jan 2011 21:39:59 +0000Ambika Subramony9519 at http://www.maclife.com